Monday, February 6, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - 1900 Deed - Owens Heirs to R. W. Caskey

On hisTransylvanianDutch
blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person
employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by
another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s
postAmanuensis – Why?.

I have amassed
quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my
ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been
transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents
were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else,
and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.

My 2nd
great-grandfather Houston T. Owens died 15 September 1895; his wife Sherreldia
J. (Hammontree) Owens died on 31 December 1896. In the following deed, their
children, as heirs, convey the parcel of land owned in Bienville Parish,
Louisiana, to R. W. Caskey. I am not sure of the relationship of R. W. Caskey to the heirs, but the Caskey,
Hammontree and Owens families in the area were closely related. Two of Houston
and Sherreldia’s known children predeceased them and are not represented in the
succession: Andrew J. Owens, who died during the Civil War, and Dialtha Jane
(Owens) Spurlock, my great-grandmother, who died in 1893.

"State
of Louisiana )

Parish
of Bienville )

Know
all men by these presents that we the following named parties Hugh R. Owens,
Sarah A. Owens, Rebecca U Sims wife nee, Owens wife of Geo. Sims who
aids, authorizes, joins his wife herein, Gabral H. Owens, Stewart S. Owens,
Sarilda Angeline Owens, Charles T. Owens, John D. Owens, Nancy C. Owens, each
owning an undivided one twelfth interest in & to the following described
tract or parcel of land lying & situated in Bienville parish Louisiana, viz
N E [?] of Sec 3 & Sw 4 of SE 2 Section 5
& NW4 Section 8 less ten acres off of the Sw4 of NW4
Section 8 Tp 18N Range 5W together with all & singular the appurtinances
& improvements thereto belonging, said tract of land belonging to the
succession of our deceased father & mother, H. T. & S. J. Owens &
Geo. W. Sims who owns two twelfths interest in said land having bought the one
undivided twelfth interest of T. A. Owens & Missouri A. Spurlock nee,
Owens, both also children of the said H. T. & S. J. Owens, deceased have
this day & do by these presents for & in consideration of the price
& sum of thirty five dollars for one undivided twelfth of said land to each
of us paid cash in hand, the receipt of which is by each of us is hereby
acknowledged, granted, bargained sold & delivered with full guaranty unto
R. W. Caskey each of us our above mentioned undivided interest in said tract of
land to have & to hold to his own use & benefit & his hiers &
assigns forever, thus done & signed on this the 4 day of Jan. A.D. 1900.

Attest: J.
D. Owens

C.
Emery Tooke C.
P. Owens

H. N.
Upton her

Sarah
A X
Owens

mark

S.
A. Owens

G.
W. Sims

S.
S. Owens

her

Nancy
C. X
Owens

mark

his

R.
N. X
Sims

mark

G.
W. Sims

his

G.
H. X
Owens

mark

E.
G. Owens

his

H.
R. X
Owens

mark

State
of Louisiana )

Parish
of Bienville )

Personally
came & appeared before me the undersigned authority H. N. Upton, who on
oath says he saw E. G. Owens & H. R. Owens sign the within deed for the
purposes therein expressed & now recognizes all the signatures to be
genuine.

H.
N. Upton

Sworn
to & subscribed before me on this 19 day of May 1900

C.
E. Tooke Dy clk

&
Ex. off. Not. Pub.

State
of Louisiana )

Parish
of Bienville )

Personally
came before me C. E. Tooke who on oath says he saw all the parties to the
foregoing deed except E. G. Owens & H. R. Owens sign it for the purposes
therein expressed & now recognizes all the signatures to be true.

Hugh Hammontree, my 3rd great-grandfather, was married to Rachel Caskey, thought to be the daughter of John Caskey and Margaret Coffee/Coffey. I am just starting to seriously research my Hammontree/Caskey/Owens families. We may be cousins!